washing fleeces...

...in the glorious sunshine

have been taking full advantage of the fabulous weather we have been having and washing lots of my last years fleeces

they are still in really good condition, having been stored in cotton sacks in a dry, airy shed

i wash my fleeces in a tin bath in the garden, using cool water to get the initial dirt and dust out of the fleece. they are put into large net bags (made from old net curtains) this makes the wool much easier to handle when wet. soak in water for a few hours, change the water and soak some more...spin in the washing machine, still using the net bags, or you can use a salad spinner for small quantities!

at this point I do not use soap or warm water, as I like to do as little as possible to the fleece until after its been hand spun..i will then wash my skeins in warm, soapy water 

a clothes airer and old step ladder are used to dry washed fleeces in the lovely sunshine...